What the research found
After the Fires examined personnel in fire and rescue, rural fire and SES agencies following the 2019–20 Black Summer fires. The 2023 summary reported persistent unmet support needs: among those classified as having high mental health support needs, 52% of volunteers and 40% of employees had received no help one year after the fires. Fewer than one in five received sufficient help two years afterwards.
What this means in everyday terms
Finishing an operational response does not mean support needs have ended. Access, trust and the fit of available services deserve continuing attention.
A starting point for practice
Agencies could review whether volunteers can access support as readily as employees, keep check-ins available beyond deployment, and ask personnel about barriers to seeking help. These are practice implications, not a tested intervention package.
What the evidence cannot tell us
This national research includes the Black Summer response but these figures are not Victorian-only estimates. Survey measures indicate probable conditions rather than individual clinical diagnoses. The findings do not establish which support model is most effective.